Hon’ble Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi ji, Respected Leader of the House Shri ArunJaitely,
Respected Leader of the Opposition Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hon’ble Deputy
Chairman Sri PJ Kurien, Hon’ble Ministers and distinguished Members
of the august House!
When I first entered
this august house as a Member in 1998, I never had even the faintest of the
idea that one day I would have the honour of presiding over as its Chairperson.
This is the beauty and majesty of our Parliamentary democracy and its strength
as well. It can lift a commoner like me to such an exalted position and offer
opportunities to discharge onerous responsibilities that go with this position.
I am truly humbled by
the honour bestowed on me by the Honourable Members of Parliament by electing
me as the Vice-President of India, by the virtue of which I have been charged
with the responsibility of Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.
I am grateful to all
the concerned for reposing faith and confidence in me and entrusting such
responsibility to me. At the outset, I would like to assure all of you that it
shall be my endeavor to live up to your expectations.
Before I elaborate on
my thoughts as the Chairperson of this august House, I would like to briefly
reflect on the origin and the role of this federal chamber of Parliament of
India. With its roots in the Monteague-Chemlsford Report of 1918, the Council
of States first came into being in 1921 further to the Government of India Act,
1919, as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise.
Subsequently, there
were extensive debates on the need for this House in the Constituent Assembly.
It was considered that a single directly elected House would be inadequate to
meet the challenges before free India. Accordingly, ‘Council of States’ was
created as a federal chamber i.e House elected by elected members. An element
of dignity and prestige was accorded to this chamber by making the
Vice-President of India the Ex-Officio Chairman of the House.
The learned members of
the Constituent Assembly envisaged this chamber as a ‘House of reflective and
evaluative reasoning’. Late Shri N.GopalaswamyAyyangar termed it as a ‘House
which can rein in passions of the moment’. Late Shri Loknath Mishra described it
as a ‘sobering House, a reviewing House, a House standing for quality and the
members will exercise their right to be heard on the merit of what they say,
for their sobriety and knowledge of special problems.”
This House of Elders is
meant to ensure federal equilibrium and equanimity in legislation. A provision
has also been made to nominate a good number of knowledgeable persons from
different walks of life to further enrich the debates. This House is also
expected to protect the interests of the States in the federal scheme of
things.
This goes to prove that
this august House has a clear mandate to perform provided the members do not
desire, even if unintentionally, to reduce its role to that of a superfluous
and irrelevant one, as is already being referred to in some quarters, in a
muted manner. It’s a choice in the hands of the honourble members.
Honourble Members!
As the World’s Largest
democracy and Fastest Growing Economy, our country needs efficient and
effective legislation to administer its processes, mobilize resources, build
partnerships, ensure socio-economic equality etc.
Hon’ble Members, time
is not on our side. Even after seventy years of Independence, we are grappling
with basic issues of poverty, illiteracy, inequality, agrarian and rural
development challenges, abuse of power etc, even as some countries similarly
placed at the time of our attaining freedom, are marching ahead with a lot more
focus and a sense of urgency, marshalling their energies in a much better
manner.
For the success of an
individual, institution or a nation, time management is crucial. We don’t have
the luxury of time. We need to make up for the lost opportunities over the last
seven decades, if our country were to realize its full potential, given its
huge stock of human and natural resources and other advantages.
This august House meets
for much less than a hundred days per year. Should the honourable members not
make the best use of this available time in furtherance of the cause of our
country and the people? The choice is to be made by the enlightened Members.
We take pride in our
diversity and the unity that flows from it. If that be the case, can’t we be
united in the pursuit of common national goals and in enabling the Young India
realize its aspirations? Our democratic polity allows flourishing of different
ideas and thoughts on a range of socio-economic issues. But adversarial
politics should not be allowed to adversely impact the functioning of
Parliament which in turn impacts the progress of our nation.
Political democracy is
a sacred instrument for pursuit of national interests. But a fractious polity,
finding its echo in the legislatures impedes the forward march of our country
and the people. No chamber of our Parliamentary democracy can be allowed to be
an extension of such fractious polity.
Every election gives
the winner a mandate and the opposition, the responsibility of ensuring
accountability of the executive. Parliamentary democracy is all about numbers.
But it does not necessarily mean that we reduce the functioning of our
legislatures to a mere numbers game. The play of numbers should stop with the
formation of governments and thereafter, it should be resorted to only in the
rarest of the rare cases. An emerging economy like ours should be guided more
by a shared destiny in the functioning of our legislatures.
Honourable Members!
All that the people of
our country desire is that the Parliament should be the voice of sanity echoing
their concerns and finding solutions to their problems as the best way forward.
Over the years, both the Houses of Parliament have done a reasonably good job.
But somehow there is a growing concern and resentment among the people over our
functioning. We need to seriously introspect over this palpable discontent with
the people saying we are not doing enough still. We need to set an example for
state legislatures by making suitable amendments to the way we speak and act
here.
Effective functioning
of the House is all about time and space Management. Both the treasury and the
opposition benches have defined space and time slots. We need to adjust ourselves
within these set limits of time and space in the interest of better results.
All that is needed is an attitude of give and take on the part of both the
sides. This is possible through strategizing for effective functioning of the
House rather than for its disruption. This needs an enlightened approach on the
part of all concerned.
Unfortunately,
obstruction and disruption of the proceedings is increasingly being chosen as
the first parliamentary option in our legislatures across the country. This has
serious implications for our parliamentary democracy. This option needs to be
immediately replaced by a quest for effective debates and discussion to resolve
issues and finding solutions to the problems being faced by our people.
How do we do it? We
don’t have to do different things to make good use of the opportunity of being
members of this august House. All that we need to do is to do things
differently and that is by intensely and passionately debating and discussing
the issue rather than resorting to obstruction and disruption. I firmly believe
in opposition having its say and the Government of the day, its way. This
essentially means both the sides respecting and accommodating each other in the
process.
All that I can and
would like to do is to try to make you all speak and act to enable effective
functioning of the House. I certainly can’t be like a headmaster herding the
errant students on the path of discipline. I know for sure that it won’t work
that way. It shall be my endeavor to promote an atmosphere of cordiality and
trust in each other. Our nation needs a new normal in the functioning of our
legislatures. It shall be my endeavor to enable this august House reach such a
new normal with the cooperation of all of you.
Nation building through
all round and speedy socio-economic development is not the sole prerogative and
responsibility of the Governments of the day. It is a national task requiring
national effort. Opposition is an important stakeholder in this endeavor while
legislatures are the effective enabling forums. The best
way of enforcing accountability of the executive by the opposition is to engage
the Government and corner them in an informed debate. I am of the view that
executive is the gainer if Question Hour is abandoned or a discussion on a
matter of immediate public concern is derailed. The executive also needs to
acknowledge that it is in their interest to take opposition on board since any
legislation with the constructive support of opposition enhances the public
esteem and acceptability of the laws made. A new normal in the functioning of
our legislatures is possible with this enlightened approach.
As a member of this
august House for 19 years, and most of it as opposition member, I am aware of
the sensitivities of both the sides of the House, the Rules of business, the
rights and privileges of the honourable members, the feelings and even
frustrations on some occasions.
I am also conscious that
eminent persons like Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Justice
Hidayatullah, Shri R. Venkataraman, Dr. Shakar Dayal Sharma, Shri K.R. Narayanan,
Shri Bhairon Singh Shekawat and others had presided over the proceedings of
this august House with distinction. My immediate predecessor Shri Hamid Ansari
did so for ten years. It shall be my endeavor to uphold the traditions and
standards set by these worthy people.
All that I would like
to appeal to the honourble members on this occasion is that keep in mind the
poorest and the most deprived before you say or do anything in the House. Let
us be guided by the shining principles of our Constitution, the ideals of
freedom struggle, the noble thoughts of great souls like Mahatma,
Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and all other leaders who gave their sweat and blood for
bringing our country this far. Always be reminded of the distance our nation
still needs to travel before it gets due place in the comity of nations and
ensure smile on the face of every citizen. Let us be guided by the right of the
people for a better future.
There is a certain new
sense of purpose and urgency being demonstrated by the Union and State
Governments in a spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism to quicken
the pace of development to offer more opportunities to the people for bettering
their lives. Let us play the role of a catalyst in fulfilling this national
quest.
I would like to assure
all of you that it shall be my earnest endeavor to uphold the dignity of the
Office of Vice-President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha and live up to
the trust you have reposed in me. I am at your service and always open to your
suggestions for improving the functioning of this august House as per your
collective wisdom.
In the end, I would
like to remind the Hon’ble Members of the Resolution adopted by this august
House at the Special Session on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of our
Independence in 1997. The members resolved to preserve and enhance the prestige
of the Parliament by conscious and dignified conformity to the entire regime of
Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the House and direction of the
Presiding Officer. Let us abide by this solemn resolution.
Thank you all
Honourable Members!
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KSD/BK
